


bandwidth

by glorysong



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Couch Surfing, Disabled Character, F/F, F/M, Human Trafficking, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Multi, Rating May Change, Trans Male Character, Trans Rich Goranski, but not fully, christine and jake being shown as actual three dimensional characters, hoh christine, jake in a wheelchair, like none of what happened in the show happened, rich never set a fire, rich's life is brutal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-10-27 21:53:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17774891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glorysong/pseuds/glorysong
Summary: rich is hiding some serious things, and together his friends start to put broken pieces back together again





	1. red, purple, blue, black

**Author's Note:**

> okay!!! very big canon diversity, so 
> 
> \- jake was disabled at 13 in a drunk driving accident that left him with shattered legs, that never really healed. he can walk, but its very painful, and slow.
> 
> \- prior to the events of this fic, jeremy and michael had a pretty big fight, which will be spoken about in later chapters
> 
> \- christine is hard of hearing. this just be how it is.
> 
>  
> 
> please remember that this is a story that involves child abuse and negative themes. if you are triggered in any way by it, please don't read this, or proceed with caution.
> 
> I hope you enjoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW FOR CHILD ABUSE, TRANSPHOBIA, AND MENTIONS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

rich was colourful. he always had been, for as long as he could remember. sometimes it was the red of his sunburns, or the colours he would use to draw on his skin. now, however, red had shifted into the purple of his under eyes, and purple shifted into the blue and black of his bruises, hidden well underneath where anyone would question them. not that anyone really questioned him. any questions rich got seemed to be about his boyfriend, or his gender identity. not that he minded. 

 

-

 

 coming home for rich meant one of three things.

one- his father was asleep, and he would sneak past him to his room, lock the door with his makeshift lock, and do his best to stay silent.

two- his father was out of the house, which would let rich make himself a proper meal with the little food in the condo and eat it quickly before following the steps of scenario one.

or three, which was unfortunately what had happened today.

 

rich had entered the condo as quietly as ever. and shut the door behind him with a dull thud. the november chill was starting to set in in jersey, yet the condo always seemed colder. his father was sitting upright in the lazy boy chair, a college football game on the television. rich was quick to take his shoes off, and started to move towards his room when he heard the all too familiar sound of the leather creaking as his father stood to face him.

"hey dyke, you getcha old man a pack of darts while you out?" 

fuck. rich had forgotten to meet up with dustin to get cigarettes today. rich didn't look old enough to buy from any store, and dustin never asked him anything about it.

"no, sir, i-" his father cut him off by harshly grabbing his wrist and jerking rich towards him. rich could smell alcohol on his breath, no doubt where this month's welfare check went.

"don't you go making excuses! fuckin' ungrateful little cunt." his father pulled him down farther and rammed the bottom of his bottle against the back of rich's neck, making him yelp in pain, and reach towards the floor, palms down. 

"look at you. on the floor just like your whore mother." rich shuddered, and put his forehead on the cold floor, covering the back of his neck now. he knew his father wouldn't leave any other visible bruises, but he never doubted that his father wasn't cruel enough to break his neck somehow.

 

-

 

the pain had become so constant that rich barely noticed.

 

_

 

rich tried his best not to move or make any sound as his father kicked him, always below the chest and leaving out his crotch. his father had always been too enthralled by rich's breasts to ever harm them.

 

-

 

this wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last. that he knew.

 

-

 

eventually, his father seemed to get bored. he grabbed rich by the hair, and pulled him to match eyes with him.

"if you weren't a fucking dyke i could use you for somethin', but no one wants a girl-boy." rich flinched hard as his father spat just below his left eye. rich braced as he was thrown backwards, body hitting the juncture of the wall and floor at a strange angle.

"now, amelia, go make me some dinner. only thing a pig like you is good for."

 

_

 

it won't  _fucking_ stop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god i fucking hate rich's dad and im writing him


	2. maroon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw more child abuse shit, unhealthy weight loss, gender dysphoria

rich slid into the end seat of the table with a huff, his body aching as he sat. jake laughed and rolled up at the side of the table. 

"was math class really that bad today?" jake pulled his bag up onto his lap and started pulling out his lunch.

"what do you mean?" rich sat up straighter as brooke sat beside him.

"hey."

"hey." 

jake cleared his throat and dramatically huffed, making his body sway as he did it.

"oh, yeah, Ms. Von is such a bitch, yeah?" brooke shook her head, opening a kool-aid jammer. "no, i really like her. i thought you were doing well in that class?" she sighed and gave rich the jammer to open for her. "i mean, i'm not failing, but i'm not doing as well as i hoped i would." he shrugged, and jeremy sat across from him.

"still no michael?" jeremy snorted in an ugly way. a lot of things about jeremy were ugly.

"when he gets his head out of his own ass, he'll be back." brooke cleared her throat. 

"what's up with you two? i had my airpods in yesterday." Jeremy groaned and pulled out his lunch bag.

"michael wants me to apply to all the same schools as him even though we aren't going into the same programs. i just think it's kind of selfish for one of us to basically choose what school the other goes to. i know we don't apply for a while, but still." jeremy pulled at the undone zipper of his sweater. He looked down at the empty space in front of rich. "you forgot your lunch again?"

 

-

 

he just didn't have lunch anymore.

 

-

 

"yeah, dumb bitch energy really took over today." Jeremy laughed and passed him an apple. jake gasped loudly.

"snow white! don't do it! you'll die!" he held his hand over his chest dramatically. ever since the play last year, jake had become so fucking extra.

rich looked him in the eyes and took a bite out of the apple. jake put his arms on the table and fake-cried into them, making the others laugh.

 

brooke put her hand up and waved it around, "i have a question! we're closing our pool this weekend, do you guys want to come over tomorrow after school to take a polar dive? my dad can probably heat the pool so its not too bad, and we still have some floaties!"  

 

jeremy nodded, bringing his bowl up as he ate. "sure. will you ask michael to come?" brooke nodded, and jake bumped his elbow. 

"you know you're right, right?" jeremy nodded, still pulling at his sweater. 

"so i'll come, y'all's pool is so nice." jake finger gunned at brooke and she smiled widely. "rich? what about you?" 

 

rich looked down, chewing his lip as he thought. he still had one of jake's old swim shirts and a longer pair of shorts he got from goodwill. He could probably cover up all of his marks. it wouldn't be too bad.

"sure." jake whooped loudly, and reached over to try and rub rich's hair. rich leaned forward to let him. jake looked at his phone screen, and started to roll back. "i've got a drama club meeting, jeremy, are you gonna come?" jeremy looked over to where michael was, the boy starting to get up as well. "can you just tell them that i had a project to work on? if i talk to michael alone i'm going to cry or something." jake nodded, and rolled back, making a beep-beep noise as he moved. 

lunch went on quietly, brooke and jeremy having a conversation as rich bummed cheez-its from brooke. 

 

-

 

jake had needed a ride home, as michael left as soon as he was done with his last class, and rich was never one to say no to his loving and caring boyfriend. jake had invited him inside, which had led them to the position they were now in, with jake and rich tangled in a pile of limbs, holding each other close. jake never tried to push anything on rich, probably thinking that rich didn't want to try anything due to his transition. that ideal helped a lot. 

jake whined, running his hand over rich's stomach gently. rich was doing his best not to make any negative noises. 

 

-

 

its not like rich didn't know that he should get out of that house. he knew that he could go to the cops or someone at the school. but who would want to take him in? no one wants the broken transgender kid. 

 

-

 

"you're really thin now, richie." jake frowned, snuggling into rich more. rich hummed against him, leaning his nose in jake's jaw. 

"yeah, i think it's just the fact that i'm actually drinking water now instead of living on diet coke and pure hatred."

"you know you can tell me anything? i'm here for you." jake sat up a bit, and rich hung on to his neck. 

"i know."

"so what's bothering you then?"

"nothing. nothing is bothering me, jakey."

jake snorted, and rubbed his face with his hand, the other beginning to rub rich's back.

"sure, jan." 

rich huffed, "look, it's just some dysphoria shit. don't worry." jake nodded, and kissed rich's cheek. "okay, love."

 

-

 

rich was late to get home. he really shouldn't have done that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i called jeremy ugly but i love will roland dont @ me
> 
> also i literally said i wasnt going to post all that often, and here i am,,, postin another chapter less than 24 hours after
> 
> i just like writing this one
> 
> happy valentine's day from ur favourite sapphic bitch  
> ohalla


	3. angry red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> where is rich?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i havent posted in so long aaAAAA
> 
> im so sorry!!! i've been so busy with theatre and i got a new job and just a lot happening!!
> 
> its literally been a month bfdfgsifuwhfp
> 
> also!!!!!! as of when im writing this the new photos of bmc 3.0 just came out and my heart is so full for christine and jeremy like,,,, yall better ship them more
> 
>  ALSO!!!!! I DONT KNOW HOW MANY PERIODS AMERICANS HAVE/ HOW LUNCH WORKS SO IVE WRITTEN IT STANDARD FOR MY CLASSES?? TWO BEFORE LUNCH TWO AFTER??? just so yall know
> 
> ohalla

rich wasn't at school the next morning, which became apparent to christine the second she got into ancient history, and didn't have the company of the boy next to her. she sighed, and pulled out her phone, tapping on discord.

 

 _flowergal:_ Hey!! Does anyone know where Rich is this morninf?? He isn't in hsitory!!!

 

 _flowergal:_ morning* historu**

 

 _flowergal:_ history*

 

 _scootscoot:_ he came over last night and went home at like 12

 

 _scootscoot:_ he prolly just didnt get up

 

 _germy:_ deosnt he ave an alarme

 

 _jennaaAAAAAA:_ I think so?? I have spare before lunch, I'll go pick him up

 

 _RedThot:_ he wasnt in band either

 

 _germy:_ k

 

 _flowergal:_ Thanks Jenna!!!!

 

 _JennaaAAAAAA:_ arent we going to talk about how bad jeremy is at texting orrrrrr

 

 _germy:_ some o us hav classed firt period ad areny tryna get caugt ttexing thot

 

christine smiled and put her phone face down on her desk, full well knowing the two would battle it out for a while. she organized her books before the class started, and took notes as mr. leeds lead the class in the friday lecture, today about ziggurats. she doodled in the margins as he spoke, droning on about stones and mud, all things that he had given them an assignment about the day before. 

 

-

 

second period, jake was starting to get worried. rich wasn't really one to sleep in, even if he did go home late. rich was usually the first one to put a message in the group chat in the morning, always up by six or six thirty. 

 

he should be at rich's place trying to figure out what's wrong, if he is okay, what's happening. instead, he's stuck here, in a shitty communications tech class, doing shit all. literally just sitting in his seat, staring at a blank google doc file that should have an essay about why his group should do video announcements. michael nudged him, seeming to understand that something was bothering him. 

 

michael didn't seem to be doing anything as well, his laptop open to etsy, looking for an animal crossing patch for his red sweater. 

 

"do you want to talk about it?"

"no."

"can i talk about something then?"

jake turned towards him more, and nodded. michael looked down, his headphones still over his ears. michael's anxiety had improved over the last few months, but he still had some trouble talking to jake and the others, and with the current spat he was having with jeremy, michael had been especially quiet the last few days.

"do you think i'm out of line with jeremy right now-"

"absolutely."

"oh. okay. you do?"

"uh huh." jake rubbed his face. "just talk to him. communication in any relationship is key to its success."

 

-

 

jenna pounded on the door after seeing no cars in the condo's driveway. 

"rich! get your lazy ass up!" she sighed and leaned on the door frame.

 

rich lived in a bad part of town, where the houses were run down, and the apartment buildings were older than a lot of the people who lived in them. rich and his father lived in a shitty condo, the lower level being theirs. they never went over to rich's place to hang out, or really to do anything. The place was in rough shape, the door banged up, old looking drapes covering the windows that looked like they had never been cleaned.

 

"rich! oh, fuck it." jenna looked around the ground for a fake rock of some sort that might have a spare key. she ran her hands around the door frame, and stopped when she felt a key on the top of it, taped on with scotch tape.

 

the inside of the house was far worse than she had expected it. her stomach dropped as she walked in, guilt settling over her as she realized her friend lived in a situation like this. 

 

"rich?" she stepped over discarded clothes and shattered bottles on the floor. yeah, her mom was messy and liked margaritas, but the volume of the bottles was far too much for anyone to drink alone. she ran her hand over cuts in the outdated wallpaper, yellowed with age. how in the hell could anyone let their child live like this? she stopped as she saw movement.

 

"rich?"

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!!
> 
> please please leave a comment, even something very simple
> 
> chapter updating will be somewhat slow due to school and work, but they will be coming!! im going to try 500-1000 word chapters hopefully once every two weeks


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